Living in QII

Ever feel like this?

We intellectually know how to plan and how to avoid procrastination, yet we still experience a lot of days like this video (at least I do). Perfection is not the goal, but it is important to keep getting back to the basic principles of QII thinking to avoid the stress of living on the fly. As leaders, we must model this with our students and our colleagues as much as possible. We can't expect to effectively teach this principle if we aren't willing to consistently improve it in ourselves. Since the 7 Habits training this summer, what fundamental changes have you made that have allowed you to do more work in QII, be more effective, and avoid constantly living in QI?

7 Habits - Region XI

Our Work is About Kids

I really appreciate that you are taking the time to go to this class. I hope you have the positive experience that I did back in February. I don't know what materials you will be using, so I don't have any specific things to ask. I want you to share your thoughts about the class. Please be specific and honest. I want to know what you really think.

We just finished up a really good year, and I'm looking forward to an even better year coming up. We have so many things to celebrate and be proud of. I have no doubt that we will continue to grow together and continue our work toward becoming a truly great school. The purpose of going to this class is to learn more about the 7 Habits and to grow as a Leadership Team. I am extremely proud of your work and confident in your leadership.

During the next three days, keep a few things in mind.

1. Never forget why you teach.
2. Trust your instincts.
3. Relate your learning to kids.

BALANCE

Habit 7 ~ Sharpen the Saw The final habit goes right along with my first belief statement.

"I believe that people perform at their best when their life has balance."
This parable sums up the idea that we sometimes have to stop and renew. Any teacher knows that our daily work is so stressful and tough that we sometimes have to stop to refresh, renew, and replenish our strength.

There's a guy who stumbled into a lumberjack in the mountains. The man stops to observe the lumberjack, watching him feverishly sawing at this very large tree. He noticed that the lumberjack was working up a sweat, sawing and sawing, yet going nowhere. The bystander noticed that the saw the lumberjack was using was about as sharp as a butter knife. So, he says to the lumberjack, "Excuse me Mr. Lumberjack, but I couldn't help noticing how hard you are working on that tree, but going nowhere." The lumberjack replies with sweat dripping off of his brow, "Yes... I know. This tree seems to be giving me some trouble." The bystander replies and says, "But Mr. Lumberjack, your saw is so dull that it couldn't possibly cut through anything." "I know", says the lumberjack, "but I am too busy sawing to take time to sharpen my saw."

I find it helpful to look at the four dimensions described in this chapter. Pretty much everything we do falls into one of these dimensions. Effective people maintain a healthy balance. Think about the things in your life that give you balance. Make sure you do those things often and never forget that balance is the key to living a happy and healthy life. Take time to sharpen your saw.

SYNERGY!

Habit 6 ~ Synergy This is my idea of Synergy; a dozen guys in the middle of the ocean working together to navigate a sailboat from one continent to another. It takes more than cooperation to make this work; it takes synergy. Take a look at this video. What other examples of synergy can you think of? What other thoughts do you have after reading Habit 6?

Habit 5

"LISTEN OR THY TONGUE WILL KEEP THEE DEAF" Native American Proverb

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. - Is there any doubt that this is the most difficult habit for most people to practice? I find this chapter refreshing every time I read it. It is the most difficult for me to do, but the most fun to work on.

We talked about Habit 5 at home last night, and it was interesting to hear teen-age perspectives on this. The Teen 7 Habits book makes light of the fact that less than 10% of communication is carried in the words we use. Most of human communication is carried in body language and tone of voice. Something else interesting from the book is that you have to take college classes on speaking and writing, but you probably won't take a class on listening. We are taught to make ourselves understood, but we don't study how to understand.

Re-read the application suggestions on pp. 260 & 261. What are your thoughts?

PARADIGMS OF INTERDEPENDENCE

1. How is interdependence different from independence?

2. Do you believe in the idea of an emotional bank account? After reading this section, have you noticed making deposits and/or withdrawals?

"The Private Victory must precede the Public Victory.

You can't invert that process any more than you can harvest before you plant."

~ Stephen R. Covey.

3. Do you agree with this quote from Covey?

4. Think about what a "Public Victory" means.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Covey

These 2 videos are relevant to our current situation. Watch the first video and think about how it applies to our school. I think the analogy of the whirlwind is very fitting. After watching the second video post your comments. Specifically, think about these four disciplines and how they apply to The Leader In Me book study. 1. What is the goal of the book study? 2. What actions do each of us need to take to help it succeed? 3. How will we measure our success? 4. How do we keep ourselves accountable?